Moving On....

I have had so much fun living life as the CHICKEN WING, and it's crazy to think that this wee blog started back in September 2008 - that's literally six years ago!!!!  It's incredible and has been an amazing journey to say the least.

It is with that journey in mind that this post comes to fruition - in 2008, I was a 23 year-old woman trying to get over her almost quarter-life crisis.  There were posts that were really popular, posts that made me laugh, posts that made me sad, and posts that were just silly.

Now, I'm a 29 year-old woman who is married, so much further along in her career and faith, and life is just different.  It's even more amazing, and there are so many opportunities out there!  I'm so excited about the future and I can't wait to see how God's plan for my life pans out.  It seems that He makes me wait and then slowly, when I get impatient or when I get discouraged, He reveals a little glimpse of His plan to me - it's as if He's giving me a gentle and subtle reminder that He's got this!

I will not take this blog down because the traffic reports show me that people do still check in here to see what's going on.  This blog became a labor of love not just for me, but for my faithful followers.  I cannot begin to express my gratitude and the overwhelming humbleness I feel when I see the traffic reports - for some reason, you all support me and you all care about what I have to say.  Thank you.  Thank you.  A million times, thank you!

This will be the last post in The Blog of the Chicken Wing, but if you do enjoy my posts and you want to continue this blog follower relationship, you can catch me over at my new digs, {DUSTYRibs}.

Join me, won't you?

This new blog has become a more accurate representation of my life these days, and I would LOVE to have you follow me over there.  Now that technology has come so far, you can even get your {DUSTYRibs} fix in a   m  u  l  t  i  t  u  d  e    of ways.  Don't believe me????  Make my day! (And follow me everywhere!)

Web:

http://www.dustyribs.com

Bloglovin:

http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10463779/dusty-ribs

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/DustyRibs

Twitter: 

https://twitter.com/dustyribs

Pinterest: 

http://pinterest.com/dustyribs/boards/

Instagram: 

http://instagram.com/mrsdustyribs#

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheDustyRibs/videos

So, I guess this is it.  I sincerely hope you'll follow me in the new leg of the journey of my life.  With bittersweet emotions, for the last time here, I'll say....

Until next time,

That Time Of Year

Okay, I guess it's time to accept the fact that I'm getting older.  It's self-admittedly pretty bad when you forget that your own birthday is a few days away.  I guess that's what I get for being so busy, yeah?  Oh wells, life goes on.  Today is the day we celebrate my birth.  I, for one, am glad I've been given this many years to live and I hope God grants me many more!  I am more blessed than I ever imagined!

I've been trying to reflect on the past year so that I could leave you all with some pearls of wisdom - wisdom is what you're supposed to look forward to with age, isn't it?  I find this assignment to be challenging, since who knows if there is anything that I have learned this year that would apply to your lives, but here goes nothing!

1.  If you're going to have long hair, for the love of everything, attempt to style it!  (I am as guilty as they come of rocking the "hey, check out my hair as it literally just hangs on either side of my face day after day" look.  But we have to focus - Pinterest has changed the game, y'all.  There is no excuse for not at least TRYING the tutorials for cute styles that you've pinned.)

2.  That brings me to the next thing I've learned - when you put your mind to something, eight times out of ten, you can accomplish it!  The project isn't going to complete itself, folks!  For example, if you stumble across a craft project and accompanying tutorial - if you think you can make it cheaper than you can buy it, give it a shot!  I wanted to use fabric flowers as accents in my wedding.  Did I know how to do it?  Heck to the no!  Did I find a tutorial and have the materials?  You betcha!  Could I really justify spending $10 PER FLOWER when I felt capable of doing it myself for $10 or less TOTAL?  You have lost your mind!  Did I finally work up the courage to try?  Yes sir, yes ma'am.  And I'm so glad I did!

Proud crafty mama, I am!  Can't wait to share professional pictures of these bad boys in use!

3.  Sometimes, letting go is a part of growing up.  Over the past year, several people I had invested a lot of time and energy in let me down.  Not just once - more like continuously.  I have finally gotten to the point in my life where I am okay with letting go of relationships that make me sad more than they make me happy.  If someone constantly uses me, they're gone.  If they lie to me, they're gone.  If they only exist for the sole purpose of starting or continuing drama, they're gone.  As much as I've tried to complicate it over the years, it really is as simple as that.  Pray for them, bless their hearts, and move on.

4.  In the same vein as number 3, make it a PRIORITY to surround yourself with good, positive, challenging people.  I promise you, it will become one of your proudest accomplishments.

5.  Spend less time posting on facebook and other social media sites and live your life.  Wow this took a lot of time to put into action, because let's face it - we all love a good timesuck or two.  For example, I actually had someone say to me, "I can't believe you didn't post pictures while on your trip this week!"  Newsflash:  I was enjoying my HONEYMOON.  The only honeymoon I'll ever get.  I didn't want to spend my precious week off putting pictures or statuses on facebook about how much I enjoyed engorging myself with crab legs, hush puppies, and honey butter (rest assured, I did.  A lot.).  I wanted to spend my precious week off from work with my brand new, super sexy, uber fun, hunk of a husband.  [Sidebar:  I did take pictures.  I will post them when I get some time.  Pinky promise.]

6.  Magic Mike was an awesome movie, and not for the plotline.

7.  Getting organized is hard.  Staying organized is harder.  This is a work in progress for me because I'm not a natural organizer where everything has it's place.  Or, I'm not that way about everything - I am about some things and I wish I was about everything.  I'm a clutterbug.  My husband is somewhat of a clutterbug.  Two clutterbugs living in Casa De Clutterbug equals chaos on most days.  We're working on it.  If organization is a challenge for you, too, all I can say is keep going and don't give up! 

8.  When all else fails you, simply say a prayer.  God hears everything you tell Him.  He is always faithful.

9.  When you constantly have prayed for something (that promotion at work, the guy/girl to take things to the next level, to win the lottery, to find someone to be with, or to make pain go away in some form) and nothing changes, the right move is not to curse God.  It's not to blame Him, call Him a meanie or some other terrible name, or swear off believing in Him altogether.  The correct move is to take a long hard look in the mirror, buck up a bit, and realize that maybe God isn't ignoring you...maybe God is simply telling you, "No."  Guess what, it happens.

10.  Finally, one last nugget of wisdom (you like how I word played on a form of chicken???) for you that I've learned in the past year is marry someone who turns you into a team.  Marry someone you genuinely want to do life with.  Marry someone who you can successfully have difficult discussions with.  Marry someone who makes the world a better place.  Marry someone who takes time for the little things.  Marry someone who makes you laugh.  Marry someone who knows what to do when you cry.  Marry someone who knows how to say the words, "I'm sorry."  Marry someone who wants to marry you.  Marry the person who does all these things for you.  Trust me, it rocks the most.

From me, on my birthday, to all of you - thanks for being in my life and for constantly lifting me up.  I hope I can do the same for all of you!

Until next time,

Six Years!

Type of Ticket:  One Way
Destination:  Crazy Town
Population:   Me

I just wanted to say that today is the six year anniversary of my being employed at my awesome company!  On one hand, I'm hollering "WOO HOO!" and on the other, I'm scratching my head in disbelief that it could even be possible!  I'm a huge fan of longevity, so I guess this is right up my alley.

It's really cool to think about my 21-year-old self walking through the doors for my first interview here, wondering if I was giving away just how nervous I was.  It was a weird, out-of-body experience, because nervousness actually fuels me - I guess I could chock it up to my Public Speaking classes in college.  Scared to death - check.  Ready to kick some arse - also check.

I've come a long way since January 16, 2006, and my life has seen so many changes, but one thing remains - I am so grateful for the experiences in my life.  I'm so proud to work where I work, with the people I work with.  I'm so thankful that the powers-that-be decided to extend a hand and give this young gal a chance.  I hope they're as happy with their decision as I've been with the decision to accept their offer.

Here's to my sixth year of being excited to go to work every day!  Let's make it a great one!

Until next time,

If I Were Famous...

I've always found the idea of being famous a little crazy.  It must be totally weird to be followed around and to see your face on the covers of tabloids with lies emblazoned across your chest claiming to know the next "big" thing about you.  It must be hard to date and make true friends.

So, my recent thoughts about being famous are these:  There are a few people that I would LOVE to hang out with/be best friends with should I happen to become famous anytime soon.  List form works for me, so here we go, Peeps!

1.  Anderson Cooper

Hello, Silver Fox!  I love you!

Ahh, Anderson Cooper.  I adore you.  Why?  You are so down-to-earth and hilarious, and I genuinely believe that you care about people.  I feel that you are one of the most honest reporters/hosts that has ever existed, and I really appreciate your passion for good solid journalism.  I love that you cover topics as serious as war and as light-hearted as The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  I love that you include your mother, the ever fabulous and classy Gloria Vanderbilt, in your new show and I am so glad to be hearing more from her!  I love that you can laugh at yourself (can we say Gigglegate 2011?).  And you are gorgeous, but this you already know.  If I become famous, let's hang out, mmkay?

2.  William and Kate

Love, sweet love!

These lovebirds need no introduction!  Why do I want to be mates with these two?  I love how charitable they are and how connected they are to the general public.  I have to imagine that being royalty would make that a wee bit hard, but they do a fine job!  I love Kate's sense of style - she is the epitome of class and grace, and I love William's sense of humor!  It appears very clear to me that these two adore each other and are genuinely happy, which is something I believe the world wanted to see.  We all know the difficult journey Princess Diana was on, and I am thrilled to see her son have a bit different path.  I feel that their accents alone could entertain me for days, and therefore, these two make my list!

3.  Tim Tebow

Purrrrr!

Okay, is this guy seriously not the total package?  Good looking - super check!  Smart - check!  Talented - check!  Driven - check!  Good Christian man - you know it!  Role model - check!  I would love to be friends with this guy mostly just to thank him for continually persevering when people try to bring him down. He recently said in an interview that the reason why he was so open with his faith is because due to his success on the football field, he had both, "a platform and a responsibility," and that is nothing if not admirable.  We need more solid men like Tim in the world who get what's important.  He seems to have a good head on his shoulders and values that are important to him.  I am down with that, so let's be friends, Tebow!

So that's my short list for now, folks!  What famous people would you want to be friends with if you had the opportunity?

Until next time,

A Step In The Right Direction

Hello, Peeps.  I'm Miss Chicken Wing.  You might remember me as someone who used to write regularly on this blog.  No, I haven't been kidnapped.  I've had so much going on in my life recently, and I am so excited to tell you guys all about it!  I apologize that it's taken me this long to get back to the happy place that is my blog, but sometimes a little vacation is necessary, you know?  Not to mention, I have just gotten started planning what is sure to be one of the very best days of my life so far - the day I get to marry Comanche!  People who have been there know how busy that can be!

Getting engaged is not the only new and awesome thing that I count in my blessings list, though!  Hold on to your hats, y'all - there's more!  The first thing I want to catch you all up on gets its own post on the blog, and is something that I'm now allowed to go public with!  I recently got a PROMOTION!!!!!  WOO TO THE HOO!!!!!!



It's true.  Believe it.

 Pause for a moment - who doesn't love Ron Burgundy, right?!?!  Okay, back to the actual subject matter. I am so excited because it's really a step in the right direction as far as my career goes, and I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to grow within my amazing company. 

For those who know me, they know how protective I am about my job(s) and my company - I will go to the mat any day for the people I work for and with.  I am so blessed to be a part of such an amazing organization, and I genuinely work with some of the best people I know.  Other people may make more money or have fancier offices, but I can guarantee that most people can't say that they like everyone they work with.  I can, and that's a big deal to me.

So, while I've been away from the blog, I have been working on the transition between my current position and my new one.  In my new position, I will have an even greater chance to help people, which is my passion, after all.  It's a little scary jumping into the somewhat unknown, but I've found that most of the things in my life that have scared me have ended up being the ones most worth it.

Here's to the newest journey on my crazy ride!

Until next time,

THE HAPPIEST POST OF MY LIFE

Okay, there is going to be limited verbiage.  I'm going to let the video and the pictures do the talking.

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So, I will apologize for the fact that I look absolutely HORRID in this video - I had bawled my face off with sheer bliss and makeup reapplication apparently never occurred to me.  For that, I am truly sorry, but I guess it can be forgiven since I was clearly high on love while this video was filmed!

So, needless to say, last night was amazing and I am greatly looking forward to spending THE.REST.OF.MY.LIFE with this man, and I am absolutely the LUCKIEST girl I know! 

He could have any woman in the world that he wanted.  Even as the ring sits on my finger, I still can't believe he chose me.

Okay, okay, you didn't think I would actually leave you hanging without seeing the most incredibly amazing gorgeous drool-worthy insane beautiful ring in the whole wide world, did you?  Come on, now, you know I'm not that mean. 

What do I love about this ring?

Let's do this in list form, because we all know that's how I roll.

1.  It was chosen by Comanche with absolutely no guidance from me or anyone else.  (Dang, he did good!)

2.  It really reflects my sassy, sentimental, and girly personality.

3.  Comanche used what I call the "lucky stone."  The lucky stone is the diamond that my darling PaPa (whom I lost last year to Alzheimer's) gave to my Grandma.  He picked it out for her, and she wore it for my whole life.  They were married for almost 59 years!  Also, the diamond once fell out of her setting when she was at a craft fair, and she didn't realize it until she got home.  After calling them frantically, she asked if she could take all of their trash home (hoping and praying that someone had swept it up).  After going through industrial-sized bag after industrial-sized bag, she found her diamond.  In the bottom.  Of the very.last.bag.  So, I call it the lucky stone, and I was honored and privileged to have her want to pass it along to me!

4.  It was designed by a pro.  Seriously.  You may know this guy:


Neil Lane, meet my peeps.  Peeps, meet Neil Lane.

 5.  Most important reason ever - because my Comanche gave it to me as a symbol of the fact that he wants me to be his wife.  There is no greater honor that I've ever achieved and I am so incredibly blessed to call him my future husband.  If he would have given me a bread tie or a popsicle stick, I would have been just as thrilled because the symbolism would have been the same.  I will say that this symbol is amazing, though, and I find that I will need to invest in more sunglasses.  ;) 

I love this man, I love this man, I love this man.

Until next time,

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WISH!!!!

Just wanted to do a quick post for two people that I love so very much in this world.  In fact, you miiiiiiight just remember them (I've posted about them before around these parts).

One year ago today, back on my "golden" birthday, I had the distinct honor of standing beside these two as they tied themselves together for life in marriage!!!!  What a golden day it was for me because I got to see two people who deserve all the love and happiness in the world get to be celebrated by friends and family, and it genuinely meant the world to me that they asked me to be a part of it.  How blessed am I?

Without further ado.............

HAPPY

FIRST

ANNIVERSARY,

NAY & DK!!!!!!!!!

I can't remember the photographer's name in order to give photo credit, but I didn't take this last one! 

While I definitely don't see you or talk to you guys enough for my liking, I love you guys more than you'll ever know!  Can we just redo your wedding every year?!?!  I'd be down with that.  I'll wear my bridesmaid's outfit and everything!  Okay, it's a plan!


Until next time,

We Have A Winner!

Well, folks - it's official!  Last night produced a winner of So You Think You Can Dance Season 8, and I couldn't have been happier about America's selection!

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to Season 8 Winner Melanie Moore - she was deemed the original "beast" of this season, and she showcased insane talent in pretty much every number she danced in.  She not only is a brilliant technician, but she also brings a high level of performance and character awareness to her dancing, and that is a difficult skill to master - especially when you're only nineteen years old.

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This post is a tribute to her greatness, so I figured it would only be right to bring some of the numbers of hers that I loved best to all of you.  Dance fans, enjoy!

Melanie & partner Marko - "I Got You" - hiphop routine by Tabitha & Napoleon


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Melanie & partner Sasha - "Girl Power" - lyrical jazz routine by Sonya Tayeh


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Melanie & partner Neil - "Total Eclipse of the Heart" - contemporary routine by Mandy Moore


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And what would my blog be if I didn't give a tip of my hat to choreographer (and SYTYCD Season Two Runner Up) Travis Wall for this absolutely breathtaking concept piece?

Melanie & partner Marko - "Turn To Stone" - contemporary (WEEK ONE!!!) routine by Travis Wall


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Congratulations again to Melanie Moore on the big win - but also to all of the other Season 8 contestants - this is not the end of the road for you.  All of you possess something so magical and so special and it's now your time to share your light with the world!

And as a closing note, I must express my deepest thanks to Executive Producer, Nigel Lythgoe, and his team of dance soldiers for continuing this amazing program for eight seasons now. As someone who was enrolled in dance classes for fifteen years of her life, I know exactly what dance can do - the joy it can bring, the focus it cultivates, the athleticism and exercise that come as part of the process - dance NEEDS to be a constant in the world today. Kids and adults alike need to be able to get up and DANCE and make the world a better place, and I am so happy to see dance get the credit and attention it deserves.

From showcasing the world's most talented choreographers, to having judges on the panel who actually know how to properly critique a dancer (and consequently prepare them for the real world - professional dance is nothing if not cutthroat), and also creating a national holiday centered around dance (National Dance Day = July 31st, y'all!),  So You Think You Can Dance is a trailblazer in the industry! The show has proven results - contestants on this program book jobs, and as a dancer - that is always the goal.

Hats off to all of you!

Until next time,

Aww, Look At The Baby! Pt. 3

And we shall call this post in the series "the shopping trip that changed my life."

In case you missed them, you should absolutely and most definitely check out the prior posts in this money-saving series:

Part 1 - The Beginning
Part 2 - This One's For The Haters

Anyways, to follow up on Part 2, I told you that there were people who were questioning the trip that changed my life, so I wanted to clear up that little situation.  The trip did in fact happen.  How can I prove it?  Check out the pictures, below, and let your mind be blown.  (Please excuse the cell phone quality - I had no idea I'd be so awed at the conclusion of this trip or I would have taken my camera!)

My business partner, L, being taught about the binder by the artist formerly known as the Coupon Queeny, Tanya - Divine Deal Diva!

Cart 1 in progress

Cart 2 in progress

Nervously waiting in line at my local Kroger - how will we do?!?!

Before coupons (but after Kroger Plus Card savings - we scanned it before we started! BOO!)

After coupons!  WOW!  $210.48 in coupon savings alone!!!

With our fabulous cashier and our hella long receipt! WHAT A RUSH!

So, as you can see, the shopping trip with the DIVINE DEAL DIVA, Tanya, actually went down - and it went down in MY city!  I was there. I pushed Cart #2, thank you very much!  And this was the shopping trip that changed my life - because it put into action what Grandma Chicken Wing had been telling me for years.  Coupons are money and when times are hard financially, which they are for me right now, I have to do what I can to help my money go further.  As I said in the post prior to this one in the series - my couponing isn't about you.  It isn't my goal to make your life harder - it's to make mine better, and sometimes, I think it's okay to put yourself first if you are constantly courteous to others.

So, I hope that each of you who wants to try to start saving money enjoyed this trip through my local Kroger, and I hope that you found motivation - it CAN be done.  I'm not saying it's easy, but I am saying that, for me, it's worth it.

Next post in the series?  I shall call it - the method to my madness!

Until next time,

Awww, Look At The Baby! Pt. 2 - This One's For The Haters

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I have been so surprised by the amount of questions I've gotten regarding the first post in my series about coolpon-ing (You thought I was going to give that up, didn't you?)!  You can find the post HERE if you missed it - and if you missed it, how dare you??! Just kidding!  The interest is definitely there, but I think that what's surprised me more than the interest were the haters that came out of the woodwork - the nonbelievers or downright angry folks, if you will. 

They have asked all sorts of questions that I didn't anticipate (and a few that I did), so I've decided that this post will be my rebuttal post.  Up first was the growing-in-popularity question:  Chicken Wing, are you going to become one of "those people?"

Cue the horrified face.

No, I am not going to become a glorified hoarder, and it's true that sometimes super extreme couponers make me angry.  I like to think of myself as a courteous coolpon-er.  I don't cut coolpons from 10+ papers so that I can swoop into your favorite store and steal every last item that you are looking for, just because it's on sale, and just because I can (insert evil laugh here).  I only buy the things that I need and I rarely EVER buy the last item.  The only way that happens is if other people buy all the items but one or two.  In my opinion, that's not my fault.

My primary goal is to only stockpile things I need/things I will use/things that will not go bad for forever.  For example, things I would love to create a stockpile of:  toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, deodorant, soap/bodywash, dental floss, etc.  These are things that I need and that I use every.single.day, so it makes sense to buy these things when they are at the rock bottom prices so I don't have to make spontaneous trips to the store because I accidentally ran out.  I'm not coolpon-ing in order to donate to charity, I'm coolpon-ing to make my life more comfortable, people!

I'm satisfied with my answer that NO, I will never be featured on Extreme Couponing, but if TLC wants to give me my own show simply for being awesome, I'm down with becoming famous for being famous - it's kind of a big trend right now.  Am I right, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, and Kristin Cavalleri?

On to the next question/statement from the haters.  "Oh geez, remind me never to go grocery shopping with you.  I bet that takes forever."  You know something, yes.  Yes, coolpon-ing takes time.  It takes time to cut the coolpons out of the paper.  It takes time to organize them.  It takes time to read the weekly circulars and try to figure out what items I use are on sale and where to get the best deal. It takes time to actually DO the shopping.  And for gosh sakes, it might take me a LITTLE bit longer to check out. 

Again, I refer back to trying my best to be a courteous coolpon-er.  If there is someone in line behind me, I inform them that I have coolpons and give them the option to move.  If they have less than me, I offer them the option to go in front of me.  If I have a coolpon for an item that isn't my favorite, and I see that someone in line behind me or in front of me has it in their cart, I will give them a coolpon, thus saving a complete stranger money.  I know that not everyone out there has the same practices and that sucks, but there isn't anything I can do about them.  But hating on the "regular" coolpon-ers, which I am a part of - the group who just needs to save their family's hard-earned money as best they can - is not cool, yo!  We take the time and put forth all the effort to coolpon and thus we get the reward of saving some money. 

As far as I'm concerned, YOU CAN

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Finally, I've gotten the question from the haters of whether or not my account of my shopping trip with the Coupon Queeny is accurate.  For the answer to that, stay tuned to the next post in the series.

Until next time,

Aww, Look At The Baby! Pt. 1

Okay, I know you all are "awww-ing" in unison, and yes, that insanely adorable baby is none other than yours truly.  I was my Grandma and PaPa's little princess and the apple of my parents' eyes, for I was the first born child and the first born grandchild on my Mom's side of the family.  I also happened to be the first girl grandchild on my Dad's side of the family, but who's really keeping score of how awesome I am?

The subject of this post makes me revert back to those days in certain ways because when you're just a young-un as I was in the photo above, everything is a new experience and you have so much to learn about everything!  You're vulnerable and you need guidance and protection from harm.  So, what exactly are we talking about here that would send me back to baby-dom in all its terrifying glory?

COUPONING.  Yes, folks, I said it.  My name is Chicken Wing and I am a baby couponer.

The photo I chose for this post is actually quite fitting as I actually first learned of couponing from my maternal Grandma who was married to the wonderful man holding me up in that picture (my beloved PaPa).  For this post, we'll call her Grandma-the-Great.  If there is one constant that has always been associated with my Grandma in my life, it's that she is a lean, mean, couponing machine!  (And she can cook some amazing Southern staples, let me tell you - she is a Jedi in the kitchen).

Anywho, Grandma-the-Great has oft preached about the values of couponing.  "Chicken Wing, it's like they are giving you money to shop with," she would exclaim.  I oftentimes would scoff at her outbursts or would just brush them off with a nod and a, "You're right, Grandma."

Fast forward quite a bit more than a decade, and yours truly was a twenty-something trying to make it in this big ole world (fairly unsuccessfully if you're looking at the world through monetary-measuring glasses).  I was actually contacted by my part-time job boss while we were in the midst of planning one of our biggest events - the Women's Show!  She had been bogged down by a ton of tasks that were running over in time, and she would no longer be able to take our special celebrity guest of the show on her errands.  Who was this guest, you ask?

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The COUPON QUEENY, I answer!!!  Hello, people, she has received SO MUCH PRESS for her amazing couponing efforts!  Not buying what I'm selling you?  Check out her website here.

So, little-ole-me got to take famous-ole-her out shopping for hours and I quickly came to realize that I had found another couponing sensei to teach this little grasshoppa how to save money with coupons.  This was so awesome, I have changed the name of these little magic pieces of paper to cool-pons.  I'm sure this will catch on.  (When the terminology sweeps the nation, make sure you let people know that Chicken Wing started the revolution.)

We shopped at Kroger, Food Lion, and Dollar General, and what a day it was.  At Kroger, I believe we got $300 worth of groceries for $100. At Food Lion, we stocked up on free toilet paper.  At Dollar General, we got a handful of items, and the store ended up owing us so much money, we had to each buy a bottled soda and a candy bar, just so we could break even (apparently, you can't leave the store with them owing you money, and DG can't pay you overage in cash.  Overage, I learned, is when a store owes you money because you saved so much.  Wal-Mart will actually pay you cash!) Are you finding this to be a tall tale?

I know, right!  Source.

Check out the photographic evidence that this day of shopping did, in fact, happen.

Yes, this is my PT job boss, my biz partner, the Coupon Queeny, yours truly, & my three PT job colleagues holding the longest receipt ever - OURS!

Thus began my own personal cool-poning journey.  I'm not making any more money (thank you, Econo Me McSuckerson), so every penny counts these days.  Financially, it has been an exceptionally stressful couple of years, and I've decided to make the most of my hard-earned cash.  Sure, I could join the "in-crowd" and not work, have ten kids out of wedlock, and be way richer than I am right now by living off the government (I may have pondered it once or twice after witnessing so many people who are living large and not working for a cent of their income).  But, I was raised better than that and I will just make do with what I've been given (because I'm sure there are plenty of folks who would kill to walk in my shoes).

If you'd like to know more about my journey, what methods and resources I'm using, and how it's going so far, stay tuned!

Until next time,